Signaling device.



UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

.ToHNnoBEItT CASPER, or .wasnmefrom DISTRICT or COLUMBIA.

SIGNALING DEVICE.

sliebiacation of Letters luttent.

Patented Mayans, 1917.

Application filed Ifebruary 5, 1916. i Serial No. 76,289.

To all whom t may concern: I

Beit known that I, JOHN R; Qasrnn, a citizen of the United States,res1d1ngpat Washington, District; of Columbia, have i'nvented 'certain new and useful Improvements in Signaling Devices, of which the following is a specification.

`My invention relates to signaling devices for road vehicles and more particularly to that type adapted for use upon automobiles to indicate the direction of travel thereof as when the operator proposes `to round a sto h, object `bf the invention is to provide a simple, compact mechanism Vadapted to be secured to the rear of an automobile, 4preferably to the rea-r mud guard thereof, and

corner, slow up or bring his vehicle to a full I which is easily discernible by pedestrians or the occupants of other vehicles from either the front orV rear of the automobile. V

Other objectsga'nd advantages of the 1n- ,ventioh will be hereinafter set forth andthe `novel-:features thereof defined by the appended claims. x In.the accompanying drawings has been illustrated a simple andpreferred form of the invention; it being however understood that no'limitation is necessarily made to the recisestructural details therein, exhibited, lint that changes, alterationsland modifications'within the scope ofthe invention, may be resorted to when desired.

In the drawings: Figure 1 -is a front elevation invention, the signal plate being'elevated and the red light showing.

Fig. 2 is asectional elevation, the operative parts being shown in their normal posi- 'tion with the signal plate removed.

Fig. 3 is a top view with the cover of the casing removed, the parts being in the position shown in Fig. 2.

refer to corresponding parts in the `several V Fig. 4 is asectional elevationl of the operative parts removed from the casing, the semaphores being down in full lines and up in dotted lines.

Fig. 5 is al detail view of the metal disk being provided to protect the interior of the casing from the elements.

Inclosed within the casing` and secured to the inner side Wall thereof by means of bolts "4is a casting or support 5 designed to compactly contaln and securely support the signallng mechanism. The casting comprises an upright opensided rectangular frame 64 extending from one side of which is a web or flange. 7 formed' with slotted cross-arms 29 through which the bolts 4 extend.

Formed on the opposite side of the casting are similar upper and lower open-sided` any gularly disposed, rectangular frames 8 and 9 respectively for a purpose hereinafter de,

scribed. A pair of upstanding ears 10 and a vertically disposed arm '11 complete the casting. i e. '4

The ears 1Q are provided with apertures 10 forming bearings for atransverse shaft 12 detachably mounted u on the extended yends of which' are a pair o arms 13 and 14. i These arms are formed Withsleeves 15 and'lG which receive the respective ends of the shaft, set- 'screws 17 and 1,8, extending through the sleeve, serving'as. means for lrigidly attaching, the arms tothe lshaft.

Each 'arm is formed with a counter Weight adjacent its pivoted end as at 19 and 20,and the opposite ends respectively -carry a circular glass 21 and 22 of reddishtinge forming semaphores 23'and 24 such arms normally lying ,in-,a vertical position with respect tothe casing, the circular glasses 21- and 22 of the arms 13 and 14 alining with glazedopenings 25 and 26 of ormed in the adjacent walls o he casing.

Mounted in the upper end-ofthe arm 11 is a shaft 27 formed adjacent one end thereof with a counter weight 28 and carrying at the other end a sleeve 30 adapted to xedly greenish tinge I t receive the shaft. The sleeve 30 is formed V with an apertured lug Bland a yreduced extension 32,` adapted` to project through an opening 33 in the casing. Formed on the ex- -tremity of this extension is an arm'34 hav- Ving a finger 35=projecting at right angles therefrom to Which'is suitably secured a si'gnal plate 36 or the like of reddish tinge and 105 bearing the word- Caution This plate when in inoperative position is hidden from viewby a covering p1ate'52 attached to the front 'Wall of the casing.

and contiguous parts of the casting.

ReferringA more particularly to the drawings in whlch like numerals of reference figures l is a casing adapted to be securely fastened to the rear mud guard of an, automobile (not shown) by any suitable means such as bolts 2, av suitable closure member 3 A link 37 is connected at its opposite ends 11'0 to 4the 'apertured lu'BI on sleeve .30 and to a similar aperture lug 38 formed on the sleeve of arm 13, screws or other suitable fasteners 39 and 40 being employed for. this purpose.

will consequently to' thefcaution signal plate 36 and semaphores'23-and 24.

' Each of the frames. 6, 8 and 9. contains a In order-to prevent the springpressed Alocking cores 46 and 51 from' sticklng to the It will thus bejseen that any` Yrotar vmovement imparted to the shaft 12 e communicatedto the shaft 27 and.,

solenoid coil 41, 42 and43 respectively cony nected by suitable wiring of'any well -known type, not shown, to a point convenient to vthe operator so that he may at pleasure energlze the magnets and cause the signalto be operated in the followingmanner.

-Assumin the parts'to be intheiposition erator desires to'fshow the cautionsignal he i will momentarily energize'the magnet 41 causing the-. 1ron core 44 thereof tovbe retracted. -This reciprocal movement of the plunger imparts a corresponding rotary movement to the shaft l12 by virtue .ofthe curved arni 45 connecting. the shaft .and plunger together, a's .best illustrated in Fig- 25.

. 1, The 'caution signal-36 consequently he semaphores are thus elevated to horizonf -tal position (see Fig.' 1).,.whe're they'are ali--A tomaticaliyf locked by..` the v spring pressed suitably ,'mo'untedl between the `two .semaphores ma be switched jon .--thiis showing a red light t rough /tliefopenings25-and 2.6 in the casing. When the -semaphores are in vertical yposition andout of alinement withv the openings itwilll of course be understood disk 4 8, due to'any residual magnetism, and thus rendering the respective .solenoids inoperative the cores areprovided with tips 46' and 51 of brass or other nonconductingmaterial which engage the slots. l j

From the `foregoing it will be seen lthat I. have provided an apparatus which is compact, economical to operate and comparatively cheap to construct.

Having thus deseribedmy invention, what Iclaimis: i 1

1. vA signaling device for automobiles comprising acasing rhaving glazed openings therein, a support within said casing, a shaft rotatablymounted infsaid support, a pair of semaphores xed to said shaft and adapted in inoperative position to be .out of alinementv with said glazed openings,l a second shaftmounted on said support and Ahaving one end projecting through a wall of the casing, a caution signal secured .to said projecting end, a counter weight on the other end fof" 'said' shaft, said caution signal being iadapted to be hidden from view 'when said semaphores are 'in inoperative position and means connecting said-shaft whereby when said semaphores are movedto operative posi,A

tionsfaid. caution signalwill be exposed to view.

2'. A signaling device for automobiles comprising acasing, a support within said'casy mg, a pair of parallel shafts mounted' in said that a greenilight will vshowfboth to .the front p 'and rear of the machine.

vShould the operator' now energize the sole. noid 43eau'sing the soft metal core 46 thereof. to be retracted fromthe slot 47, the-caution` plate land semaphores will be returned vertical or ino erative positionjbyV force of /gravity and loc led in such position by the sprung pressed metal core' 51 of solenoid 42 signal.

engaging in a second" slot '52 formed in thev -periphery ofthedisk48. It will of course l be'understood .that solenoids 41 and4 42 are connected iii-series so that thespring pressed core of the latterwill be disengaged from lookin position-when the former is -ene'r-v gized or thepurpose of showing the-danger support, means for rotatably connecting said A in presence 'of two witnesses.'

JOHN ROBERT CASPER]- .Witnesses;

KATHRINE MILLS, v l PERGY H. MOORE. 

